2 – 3 years – Speech and Language development

By 2 years

One of the most common questions we hear is, “Is my child developing normally?” (or something to that effect). It’s important to remember that between the ages of 12-24 months there is some room to move in terms of what is considered “normal”. For example, some children by the age of 12 months will have multiple first words, while others may not start using words until a couple of months later. While there is a relatively large span of what is considered “normal”, children generally develop within certain timeframes, and there are things you should be on the lookout for.

At around two years of age (and onwards), children tend to have an “explosion” of language. This can be an exciting time.

Below is a table that outlines some of the language and play skills a child should be developing by and from the age of 2 years. Below the table are some ‘red flags’ to be wary of.

Will begin to vary word tense (i.e. talk about what happened yesterday) and by about 3, will be developing skills to better express their emotions and tell simple stories.

By the age of 3, a child’s speech should be approximately 75% intelligible (or understandable). This does not mean their speech is perfect, just that you and an unfamiliar listener are able to understand what your child is trying to communicate.

Sounds mastered within this period include: p, h, m, n, w, b. They should be well on their way to mastering k, g, t, d, y and f.

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About Jenna Butterworth

Jenna Butterworth is a Speech Pathologist who sees both children and adults. She has experience from a spectrum of clinical environments including teaching hospitals, community and private practice.

Jenna is committed to providing evidence-based interventions for children and adults alike, tailoring therapy to each client’s individual needs. Her clinical experience enables her to provide comprehensive one-on-one, group and school program interventions. Jenna creates and sources a wide variety of tools and resources for clients and families to use in order to maximize communication potential.

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About Us

We are Dietitians and Nutritionists, Speech Pathologists and Skincare Specialists. We see adults and children from our office in Randwick. Passionate about health and wellbeing, we write about issues relevant to our clinical practice.